PACIFIC WORLD - The Institute of Buddhist Studies

Fugen: Rennyo’s Theory on Amida’s Name 221character Name as Amida’s directing merit of Other-Power ( !tariki ekø). In the Songø shinzø meimon he explains it as the working of theName directed from Amida Buddha toward sentient beings. In the Letters,Rennyo accepts both of Shinran’s interpretations.Rennyo interprets “taking refuge” (kimyø) as practitioners’ shinjinfrom the perspective of sentient beings following the Songø shinzø meimon.In the Chapter on Shinjin, Shinran interprets “taking refuge” as “thecommand of the Primal Vow calling to and summoning us.” Shinran alsoprovides two additional notes to his interpretation of the character “ki” ( ) of“kimyø” (taking refuge ), saying that ki means “entrusting on” ( yoritanomu) and “relying on” ( ! yorikakaru). Shinranexplains that the meaning of “namu,” or “taking refuge,” is Buddhas’command. In the Songø shinzø meimon, the shinjin of the sentient beingswho accept the Buddhas’ command is explained from the perspective ofthe sentient beings, that they respond “to the command and follow the callof the two honored ones, Ûåkyamuni and Amida.” 13Rennyo’s understanding of “taking refuge” is based on Shinran’sabove interpretation. For example, in the Letter (4–14), Rennyo writes, “‘Totake refuge’ expresses the entrusting mind of sentient beings who rely onAmida Buddha to save them, bringing them to buddhahood in the afterlife.”14 In this passage, Rennyo demonstrates his interpretation of “takingrefuge” from the perspective of sentient beings, which is practitioners’shinjin entrusting Amida’s salvation.In the Songø shinzø meimon, Shinran uses an expression that practitionersare to “follow the call” ( !"# meshi ni kanau) and interprets“taking refuge” as practitioners’ faithful entrusting ( shinjun) in thecommand of Ûåkyamuni and Amida. Rennyo, however, applies a differentexpression, “relying on Amida Buddha to save them” ( !"# tasuke tamae to tanomu), to explain the meaning of “taking refuge.”Here, we see the uniqueness of Rennyo’s expression of settled mind ( anjin) which is developed out of Shinran’s interpretation.As for Shinran’s interpretation of “aspiration for birth and directingmerit” and “Amida-butsu is the practice,” in the Chapter on Practice, hewrites that “aspiration for birth and directing merit” is “the mind of theTathågata who, having already established the Vow, gives sentientbeings the practice necessary for their birth” which is Amida’s mind ofgreat compassion to direct merit to sentient beings ( !" daihiekø shin), or Amida’s Vow mind of directing merit to sentient beings( !"# nø ekø no ganshin). “Amida-butsu is the practice,” isdefined as the “selected Primal Vow” ( ! senjaku hongan) whichis the practice of those who receive Amida’s directing of virtue ( shoekø no gyø). 15In the Larger S¥tra, Amida Buddha has established Vows and directsto sentient beings the right practice for birth in the Pure Land and the